New Releases by Gary Soto

For fans of the Legendary Alston Boys, an uproarious contemporary adventure story with a dash of fantasy about two friends who start a non-singing duo, go viral, and become unlikely international rock stars, bringing mindfulness to the middle school masses. At Visalia Middle School, nothing exciting ever happens. For Jason and Sean, eating candy at recess and dreaming of a future filled with fame and fortune is usually the highlight of their day. But when Sean stumbles across a video of a composer’s deliberately silent performance piece, the boys come up with an idea for a musical act that performs non-songs. And when a video of their first concert goes viral, the duo suddenly finds their dreams of stardom coming true—despite their lack of any musical talent. Soon they’re off on a globe-trotting adventure where, with the help of a cockatiel translator and an eleven-year-old talent agent, they unintentionally popularize the concept of quiet mindfulness and discover that fame can be fickle, but friendship is forever.

A chorus of essays from a variety of voices, backgrounds, and experiences, exploring what it means to be human and true to yourself. What does it mean to be yourself? To be born here or somewhere else? To be from one family instead of another? What does it mean to be human? Collected by Lori Carlson-Hijuelos, A Path to the World showcases essays by a vast variety of luminaries—from Gary Soto to Nawal Nasrallah to Ying Ying Yu, from chefs to artists to teens to philosophers to politicians (keep your eyes peeled for a surprise appearance by George Washington)—all of which speak to the common thread of humanity, the desire to be your truest self, and to belong. Contributors include: Lori Marie Carlson-Hijuelos, Joseph Bruchac, Jacinto Jesús Cardona, William Sloane Coffin, Pat Conroy, Mario Cuomo, Timothy Egan, Alan Ehrenhalt, Shadi Feddin, Ralph Fletcher, Valerie Gribben, Alexandre Hollan, Molly Ivins, Geeta Kothari, Jeremy Lee, Yuyi Li, Emily Lisker, Kamaal Majeed, Madge McKeithen, Nawal Nasrallah, Scott Pitoniak, Anna Quindlen, Michael J. Sandel, Raquel Sentíes, David E. Skaggs, Gary Soto, Alexandra Stoddard, KellyNoel Waldorf, George Washington, and Ying Ying Yu.

Gary Soto is a widely published author of children''s and young adult fiction, and he is an acclaimed poet--often referred to as one of the nation''s first Chicano poets. With a sharp sense of storytelling and a sly wit, What Poets Are Like is a memoir of the writing life that shares the keen observation, sense of self and humor of such writers as Sherman Alexie and Nora Ephron. In some 60 short episodes, this book captures moments of a writer''s inner and public life, close moments with friends and strangers, occasional reminders of a poet''s generally low place in the cultural hierarchy; time spent with cats; the curious work of writing. He tells the stories of his time spent in bookstores and recounts the glorious, then tragic, arc of Cody''s Bookstore in Berkeley, ending with the author whose scheduled event fell on the day after the business shut down, but who stood outside the locked door and read aloud just the same. As all writers do, Soto suffers the slings and arrows of rejection, often from unnamed Midwest poetry journals, and seeks the solace of a friendly dog at such moments. Soto jabs at the crumbs of reward available to writers--a prize nomination here, a magazine interview there--and notes the toll they take on a frail ego. The pleasure Soto takes in the written word, a dose of comic relief plus his appreciation of the decisive moment in life make this an engaging and readable writer''s confession.

Rudy Herrera is surprised and excited when he gets an invitation to a pool party. It''s from Tiffany Perez, the richest and most popular girl in school. Rudy''s grandmother, "El Shorty," thinks he is going off to shoot pool. His sister, Estela, warns him not to make a fool of himself, or worse, embarass her. Rudy''s father teaches him how to make small talk and tells him Tiffany will like him because he''s a real person, not a phony. All Rudy cares about is what to wear, what kinds of dives to do, and what to bring Tiffany. When the big day arrives, Rudy is in high spirits. Will he make a big splash at the pool party? From Grandfather "El Shorty" to Little Rudy, the Herreras are a family who not only live and work together, but love and enjoy one another. Gary Soto, poet and storyteller, gives young readers a story of simple pleasures, simply told and simply wonderful.

For fans of Gary Soto and Matt de la Peña comes a tale of a contemporary Mexican-American family with a "spunky and imaginative heroine" (Publishers Weekly). Miata Ramirez is scared and upset. The skirt she brought to show off at school is gone. She brought her forklorico skirt to show off at school and left it on the bus. It’s not just any skirt. This skirt belonged to Miata’s mother when she was a child in Mexico. On Sunday, Miata and her dance group are supposedgoing to dance forklorico, or traditional Mexican folk dances; and that kind of dancing requires a skirt like the one Miata lost. It’s Friday afternoon. Miata doesn’ t want her parents to know she’s lost something again. Can she find a way to rescue the precious skirt in time? With its focus on family ties, friendship, and ethnic pride and Includes an afterword from its acclaimedthe author, The Skirt is a story that children everywhere will relate to and be inspired by, no matter their background. "A light, engaging narrative that successfully combines information on Hispanic culture with familiar and recognizable childhood themes....A fine read-aloud and discussion starter, this story blends cultural differences with human similarities to create both interest and understanding."—SLJ “Light, easy reading . . . offering readers a cast and situations with which to identify, whatever their own ethnic origins.”—The Bulletin "Soto''s light tale offers a pleasant blend of family ties, friendship and ethnic pride...[and Miata is] a spunky and imaginative heroine."—Publishers Weekly

In a prose that is so beautiful it is poetry, we see the world of growing up and going somewhere through the dust and heat of Fresno''s industrial side and beyond: It is a boy''s coming of age in the barrio, parochial school, attending church, public summer school, and trying to fall out of love so he can join in a Little League baseball team. His is a clarity that rings constantly through the warmth and wry reality of these sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic, always human remembrances.

At Little League, Luis is catching fly balls, stealing bases, and hitting like a champ. But there is a problem: he thinks he''s getting good luck from the snacks he samples at the supermarket before every game. Then one day his mom goes directly to the field and he has a horrible practice. The day she skips the stop at the store before a game, he strikes out twice. Luckily, Luis''s father understands and convinces him that practice and concentration matter much more than any superstition.

¡Viva la causa! ¡Viva César Chávez! Up and down the San Joaquin Valley of California, and across the country, people chanted these words. Cesar Chavez, a migrant worker himself, was helping Mexican Americans work together for better wages, for better working conditions, for better lives. No one thought they could win against the rich and powerful growers. But Cesar was out to prove them wrong -- and that he did.

What do Gaby Lopez, Michael Robles, and Cynthia Rodriguez have in common? These three kids join other teens and tweens in Gary Soto''s new short story collection, in which the hard-knock facts of growing up are captured with humor and poignance. Filled with annoying siblings, difficult parents, and first loves, these stories are a masterful reminder of why adolescence is one of the most frustrating and fascinating times of life.

A collection of poems about childhood.

At age thirteen, best friends Ronnie and Joey suddenly feel like chimps--long armed, big eared, and gangly--and when the coach humiliates Joey in front of a girl, he climbs up a tree and refuses to come down.

On the mean streets of southeast Fresno, 19-year-old Eddie is just trying to get by. All he wants is to forget his violent past, hold down a job, and walk a straight line. But after his cousin''s murder, Eddie finds himself drawn back into the cycle of violence.

Two Mexican American brothers hope that junior college will help them escape their heritage of tedious physical labor.

The award-winning author of "Baseball in April and Other Stories" deftly captures all the angst, expectation, and humor that comes with first love in this swift, lighthearted romance.

A senior at East Fresno High School lives on as a ghost after his brutal murder in the restroom of a club where he had gone to dance.

The coolest cat in the barrio is back! Chato decides to throw a "pachanga for his friend Novio Boy, who has never had a birthday party, but when it is time to party, Novio Boy cannot be found.

A senior at East Fresno High School lives on as a ghost after his brutal murder in the restroom of a club where he had gone to dance.

Soon he discovers that he is in his office at a Baptist college in the Simi Valley of Southern California, a place that is familiar to many Americans as the home of many of the jurors who tried and convicted Rodney King in the 1990s. Silver has become a professor of English! Moreover, as he soon discovers to his horror, he is having an affair with the wife of the college president. And someone seems to be selling drugs on campus and Silver seems to be involved though he doesn''t know how."--BOOK JACKET.

In this new collection of poems, Gary Soto once again displays his impressive poetic range- funny, sad, urbane, nave. He digs deeply into his California hometown of Fresno and explores the wonder of the everyday in an ever-shifting world. In Soto''s poems, precocious Berkeley dogs practice feng shui, raisins march out of a factory under the nose of the night watchman, and shirts are ironed "with the steam of Mother''s hate." In the darker second part of the collection, Soto offers 12 "film treatments for David Lynch." What skincrawling delight Lynch could conjure with the tightwad furniture salesmen who meets his death in a pool "blue as toilet wash." Then, back from the brink, Soto presents in the final section a single long poem as graceful and meditative as anything he''s written to date.One Kind of Faithconfirms Gary Soto''s immense talent and will bring his voice to an even wider audience.

Features Silver Mendez, a Chicano poet on the skids, and not far from Skid Row. Embedded in Silver''s heart and mind is his belief in "el movimiento of the 1960s, despite the fact that life apparently offers him "nada--until he meets Linda, a love from that very past.

Follows the lives of three Hispanic men living in Oakland.

Misunderstanding his wife''s instructions, an old man sets out for a party with a door on his back.

Maya, the flower girl, describes a Mexican American wedding through snapshots of the day''s events, beginning with the procession to the altar and ending with her sleeping after the dance.

Ganador del premio de ilustración Pura Belpré 1996 The Spanish edition of a modern classic. Chato can''t believe his luck. Not only is he the coolest low-riding cat in East L.A., but his brand-new neighbors are the plumpest, juciest, tastiest-looking family of mice to move into the barrio in a long time. So Chato and his best friend, Novio Boy, get out the pots and pans, the tortillas and the beans--everything you''d need for a welcoming feast, except for the main dish, and the guests of honor. Of course, in Chato''s mind they are one and the same thing. But the mice are bringing a surprise guest of their own, who may be more than a cool cat can swallow.

National Book Award finalist Gary Soto presents a collection of 40 new poems that will bring a wry smile of recognition to anyone who has endured the misguided realities of childhood and adolescence.

Ninth-grade Rudy has asked eleventh-grade Patricia out on a date, and to his amazement she has agreed. Now Rudy has to come up with the money, the poise, and the conversation to carry it off. This one-act play, by turns heartwarming and heart-wrenching, follows Rudy from his desperate search for guidance from family and friends through the hilarities of the date itself, all the way to its successful conclusion. “To present a new kind of coming-of-age story, a play is the way.”--American Bookseller

This modern classic celebrates the tradition of tamales and family bonding at Christmas. Christmas Eve started out so perfectly for Maria. Snow had fallen and the streets glittered. Maria''s favorite cousins were coming over and she got to help make the tamales for Christmas dinner. It was almost too good to be true when her mother left the kitchen for a moment and Maria got to try on her beautiful diamond ring . . . This is the story of a treasure thought to be lost in a batch of tamales; of a desperate and funny attempt by Maria and her cousins to eat their way out of trouble; and the warm way a family pulls together to make it a perfect Christmas after all. Also available in Spanish as ¡Qué montón de tamales!

The Spanish translation of the modern holiday classic Too Many Tamales! La mamá de María prepara un montón de tamales para celebrar la nochebuena. María le ayuda a prepararlos pero se prueba el anillo de su madre y lo pierde en la masa. Sin decirles a los adultos lo que ha ocurrido, María y sus jóvenes parientes tratan de encontrarlo comiéndose todos los tamales. * "Una historia graciosa, llena de deliciosas sorpresas . . . un éxito encantador"--Libro recomendado, Booklist * "Una conmovedora historia familiar en la que se combinan unas ilustraciones brillantes con una historia bien contada sobre el dilema de una niña."--Libro recomendado, School Library Journal

Chato decides to throw a "pachanga" for his friend Novio Boy, who has never had a birthday party, but when it is time to party, Novio Boy cannot be found.